Chicago Cubs Score and Recap (6/14/24): Cardinals 3, Cubs 0 – Lack of Hitting Again as Cubs Slide Continues

The Cubs disastrous season continued apace on Friday with another loss, this time to the Cardinals at Wrigley Field. Chicago suffered another pitcher injury, the offense did almost nothing, and the bullpen surrendered more late runs in what is becoming a very typical defeat.

Jordan Wicks returned to the rotation and looked sharp early but then pulled his left oblique with two outs in the 2nd inning and had to leave the game. Kyle Hendricks was pressed into duty and threw the ball as well as he has all season to keep St. Louis off the scoreboard through six.

Cubs hitters got very little going against Kyle Gibson and the Cardinals right hander tossed seven shutout frames. The road team took the lead in the 8th when light-hitting backup catcher Pedro Pagés somehow managed to hit a solo home run off Hayden Wesneski that cut through the wind and landed in the left field basket.

Chicago got pinch-runner Pete Crow-Armstrong to third in the bottom of the frame but he was thrown out at the plate by second baseman Nolan Gorman on a Miguel Amaya ground out with a drawn in infield. Pinch-hitter Patrick Wisdom crushed a fly ball deep to left against left hander JoJo Romero that somehow died on the track for the final out of the inning.

The Cardinals added a couple of insurance runs with Colten Brewer on the mound in the 9th, but they weren’t necessary as the Cubs went on to drop the game 3-0. (Box score)

Key Moment

On a different day, or honestly a different season, Wisdom’s loud 111 mile-an-hour rocket is a go-ahead two-run homer. Instead, the wind knocked it down and the Cubs were done.

Why the Cubs Lost

A complete lack of offense yet again, the same old familiar theme this season.

Stats That Matter

• Wicks is headed back on the injured list with his oblique issue according to manager Craig Counsell.
• Hendricks is headed back into the rotation and hopefully he will pitch more like Friday going forward: 4.1 IP, 0 R, 2 H, 1 K, and 0 BB.

Bottom Line

It’s weird to say in mid June with a team that is just two games out of a playoff spot but the Cubs season feels like it’s over. The roster is just full of major flaws and to make things worse they are ravaged by injuries. They are in the midst of a slump that started at the end of April and there are no signs of it ending. I’m reminded of Chief Wiggum from The Simpsons when he got his tie stuck in the rotating hotdog display at the convenience store: this is going to get worse before it gets better.

On Deck

Game two of the series is Saturday at 1:20pm CT. Shōta Imanaga faces Andre Pallante with broadcasts on FS1, Marquee, and 670 The Score.